Stuck in the desert

 Stuck in the desert 

                                       

The end of the day...but first....

We drove out of Jazan to go up the Red Sea coast. We passed through some arable land and some rough pasture with grass and scrubs for shade. There was enough rain for wheat but most other crops needed irrigation.

An unusual mound, topped with palms and a select residence with a view.

We turned off the road to find a bush camp on the beach. We passed some camels with cattle egrets.

A camel with a pair of cattle egrets.

We never got to the beach. We got stuck in some sand. Not part of the plan.

We dug and put in sand mats but the truck just sunk deeper. It was a Friday and nothing happens on a Friday so we had to camp here, next to the truck miles from the nearest bush and not near the sea.

We tried to get the truck out th next morning but it wass tuck fast and had sunk deeper overnight. We tried all day and had help from 4x4s to no effect. A JCB turned up and couldn't shift the truck. A larger JCB turned up, drove 300 metres off the road and turned around five kilometres short of the truck. The driver was not going to risk getting stuck.

Late that afternoon, we left Martin the driver with the truck. We took some overnight things and walked five kilometres through the desert to the road and to the nearest garage where we caught taxis for the 220 kilometres to Jeddah.

And I can't continue the story until Martin and the truck turn up at the hotel.